In the manufacture of rolled web products, a winder winds a web of material to form a large parent roll. The parent roll is then subsequently unwound, subjected to a variety of conversions, such as embossing, and then rewound by a rewinder into a consumer diameter sized convolutedly wound log. The convolutely wound log is eventually cut into consumer width size rolls, such as bath tissue, paper towels, and similar finished products. Several of these finished products can be provided with a “handle” with which a consumer may grasp the end of the convolutely wound log in order to initiate use of the rolled web material.
As would be known to those of skill in the art, there are a number of well known manners in which the tail, or end, of a convolutely wound product may be secured or sealed thereto. Common gluing, moistening, and other systems known to those in the tail gluing art typically require some manipulation of the tail, or end, of the convolutedly wound roll for correct alignment in glue application, proper rewinding, and the like. In most commercially available embodiments, the tail of the convolutely wound product is laid flat and unwrinkled against the log with the tail being secured to the log at a position a short distance from the very end of the tail. This tail sealing arrangement leaves a small length of the end of the tail unsecured to enable the end user to grasp, unseal, and unwind the convolutely wound product.
Several of the known methods and systems for sealing the tail of a convolutely wound product to the log are designed to avoid undesirable results of improper tail manipulation and improper glue placement and delivery while maintaining a high rate of product output. However, these known methods and systems for such tail sealers are quite complex and employ expensive systems and subsystems to separate and orient the tail of each convolutely wound roll in a precise manner. Applying adhesive to the tail or log in a precise location can seal the tail on the log without wrinkling. However, such systems are costly and at times can be deemed as unreliable and producing final products that do not meet existing quality control standards. Such exemplary tail sealers are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,113,884; 4,026,752; 5,259,910; 5,474,646; 5,759,326; 3,696,777; 6,145,777; 6,372,064; RE 35,729; RE 37,039; U.S. 2004/0086698 A1; and U.S. 2004/0256513 A1.
Besides being expensive in terms of manufacture and maintenance, the aforementioned systems are not without additional problems. Several of the embodiments mentioned dispense excess glue through a slit or a plurality of adjacent slits so that the excess glue overflows from the slits. Such excess glue that is not picked up by the convolutely wound rolls is collected in an underlying tank from which it can be recovered and made to flow back into the system. Such systems thus allow dust, debris, and other foreign matter to be incorporated into the glue that is overflowing from the slit, thus polluting the glue flow stream and/or reducing the effectiveness of the glue upon subsequent rolls of convolutely wound material. Such systems typically incorporate filtration systems in an effort to remove such pollutants from the adhesive stream. Such filtration systems add increased cost to the systems as well as provide routine maintenance issues.
Other known systems incorporate the use of a wire and/or a blade that is dipped into a pool or bath of adhesive and is then subsequently brought into contacting engagement with a log of convolutely wound web material. Again, such a system is provided in an open condition, thereby allowing the aforementioned pollutants to enter the adhesive stream, thereby reducing the effectiveness of the adhesive both in terms of attachment to the convolutely wound material and to attachment of the tail to the convolutely wound web material after application of the adhesive thereto. In such systems, the wire is typically either maneuvered relative to such a bath of adhesive, or the adhesive is manipulated relative to the wire. Again, such systems require extra equipment and components to both manipulate the wire and the adhesive.
Thus, it would be advantageous to provide for a tail gluing system that facilitates the transfer of adhesive to a convolutely wound roll of web material that minimizes or even eliminates the prospect of pollution to the adhesive fluid stream. Likewise, it would be advantageous to provide for such a system wherein the adhesive applied to the convolutely wound web material can be placed in a pattern or provide for indicia to be disposed upon the convolutely wound web material forming the final product. Additionally, it would be beneficial to provide for such a system that increases throughput, reduces the components required to operate an effective tail gluing system, and provides for a mechanism that reduces the maintenance required upon such a tail gluing system.